Los Angeles Walking Tour: Chinatown Galleries

What stands today as L.A.'s Chinatown was built in the 1930s by a well-established Chinese-American community, and the contribution of Hollywood set designers gave it a conspicuous exoticism that still exists. Even now, with over 25 non-Chinese-owned galleries dotting the landscape, the Chinese aspect—pagoda entrances, dragon motifs, temples, latticed windows, restaurants and bars with names like Hop Louie and Foo Chow—is prevalent.

Park on Broadway, and start at (1)Wonder Bakery (www.wonderbakery.com), at the corner of Broadway and Gin Ling Way. Skip the French pastries, but indulge in delicious Chinese treats: sweet egg tarts, dense coconut buns, and buns coated with "meat floss" and filled with custard.

Walk out of the bakery, past the statue of Sun Yat-Sen (father of Modern China), and into (2)Realm (425 Gin Ling Way; tel. +1 213 628 4663; www.realmhome.com), a mod housewares store. Notice the defunct neon sign at the entrance that says "Dining Room": Back in the day, this was a banquet restaurant. In the store, look up: The store's owner rescued these gorgeous painted tiles from the attic. It took three months of cleaning to uncover dragons and phoenixes from decades of smoke and grime. Note the before and after renderings of the plaza you're standing in behind the cash register.

Turn right as you exit, and check out (3)Munky King (441 Gin Ling Way; tel. +1 213 620 8787; www.munkyking.com), a boutique that sells limited-edition collector toys—some for thousands of dollars. Turn right as you exit, walk to the end of the plaza, and cross Hill Street, the perpendicular roadway. Enter the plaza opposite, walking under strands of faded red lanterns to reach Chung King Road, a pedestrian plaza parallel to Hill Street.